Thread by @ginasue

Lessons for academics from @Jason's "How to Say "No": Five Templates to Turn Down Opportunities Gracefully" bit.ly/2o1KU31
1. THANK people for their interest/ideas/connection
2. Know what YOUR OPPORTUNITIES look like
3. Know your "DON'T DOs"
4. Be on DEADLINE
1/10

1. Thank people for reaching out: A great way to acknowledge someone has an idea/opportunity for you. E.g., "Thank you for thinking of me for the editoral board of your <predatory> journal, but I must decline." Bonus points for early replies. 2/10

2. Know what opportunities look like for you. For ECRs the chance to speak on a keynote panel at a workshop can be great. I know more senior academics who refuse all the panels. Being clear with what is an opportunity looks like for you helps you to say no.... 3/10

e.g., "Thank you for inviting me to your workshop. I have to decline all workshop invitations that are outside of the key area of my research at the moment." 4/10

3. Know your 'I don't dos': I don't do reviewing for-profit publishers. I just don't on principle. I also don't donate my time to corporates -- there's too much other work to be done with my service time helping university presses, nonprofit publishers & community groups. 5/10

(Don't get me started on the last time I spoke for free at a conference that charged $10,000 a pop for a ticket. Never again.) 6/10

Your 'don't dos' will vary over your career. That's ok. Knowing them will make saying no easier. No judgements. 7/10

4. We are all on deadline. ALL👏THE👏TIME. Right now I'm on book deadline. Last month I was on grant deadline. The deadlines never end in our business. It gives us a gracious way to say no. 8/10

E.g., "Until April 2020 I am on deadline for my next book and cannot take on new opportunities until then." 9/10

I would love to hear how you all say no - What works for for you? 10/10.